


but nothing is better sometimes, once we've both said our goodbyes

by cheryltonis, endofdaysforme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, i'm fuming luv, obligatory 'choni raising the twins' au because they really deleted a scene of cheryl with the twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 20:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18901783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheryltonis/pseuds/cheryltonis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/endofdaysforme/pseuds/endofdaysforme
Summary: going from complete silence to the loud cries of two babies in one household is a lot for cheryl and toni to adjust to, but somehow, they manage. it takes time, but they get there.nana rose tries her best as well, holds one of the babies when cheryl or toni are busy with something, but being bound to a wheelchair means she can only do so much.so…at the tender age of seventeen do cheryl blossom and toni topaz essentially become parents.toni thinks there’s probably some steps they should’ve taken before this one. maybe a couple more years of dating before an inevitable proposal, followed then by the discussion of kids and their future, maybe…but it’s surprising, how quickly she finds she doesn’t mind. especially when the sight before her is too beautiful to deny.--aka, cheryl and toni raise juniper and dagwood in jason and polly's absence and face the trials and tribulations of parenthood.--aka we all saw that still of a deleted scene of cheryl with one of the twins and we're fookin' fumin' luv,  so here's a fic instead!





	but nothing is better sometimes, once we've both said our goodbyes

**Author's Note:**

> this...is not my best work, but bear with me, i'm high on pain meds (if you want the story, check my twitter, it's a doozy) so forgive me for it being a little shit.
> 
> hope you like it though, i want justice for that scene of cheryl with the twins being cut, and i won't rest until i get it! (j.k i'm probably gonna sleep right after this is posted lol, i'm really tired and really sore)
> 
> twitter: @endofdaysforme
> 
> as for a therapist fic update, i'm gonna try my best to get it out in the next couple days, guys...but like, i did get into an accident and my left arm is kinda fucked, so typing hurts...again, BEAR WITH ME.
> 
> fic title from “When The Party’s Over” by Billie Eilish
> 
> till next time, hope you enjoy this little diddy!

going from complete silence to the loud cries of two babies in one household is a lot for cheryl and toni to adjust to, but somehow, they manage. it takes time, but they get there.

 

nana rose tries her best as well, holds one of the babies when cheryl or toni are busy with something, but being bound to a wheelchair means she can only do so much.

 

so…at the tender age of seventeen do cheryl blossom and toni topaz essentially become parents.

 

toni thinks there’s probably some steps they should’ve taken before this one. maybe a couple more years of dating before an inevitable proposal, followed then by the discussion of kids and their future, maybe…

 

but it’s surprising, how quickly she finds she doesn’t mind. especially when the sight before her is too beautiful to deny.

 

she smiles from her position at the doorway of their bedroom, tears in her eyes as she watches cheryl giggle and tickle dagwood’s back from her position hunched over the cot he’s resting in, the boy’s squeals of delight echoing out as nana rose sits in the corner in her wheelchair with baby juniper in her arms. 

 

toni isn’t sure if the twins will stay with them…isn’t sure what’s going to happen now that polly and alice cooper are gone without a trace…she suspects betty will visit soon and suggest that the twins stay with her at her-or well, _the jones’s_ place now, but toni can’t seem to bear the idea of cheryl losing the only connection to jason she has left.

 

now that the farm is gone and reality has hit that she was talking to jason’s corpse all along, the twins have been the only thing apart from toni that’s keeping cheryl blossom together after she was forced to bury her twin brother for the second time just three days ago…

 

“antoinette? may i request your assistance please, dear?” nana rose croaks out, beckoning toni forward with a finger. the pink haired girl pushes herself off the doorway and makes her way over to the blossom matriarch, smiling and holding her arms out as nana rose lifts little juniper up into them with difficulty.

 

“are you okay, nana?” toni asks softly, taking juniper into her arms and smiling down at the small baby as she curls one of toni’s fingers into her little fist with a gurgle.

 

“i’m fine, dear. just tired.” nana rose says simply, sinking back into her wheelchair with a heavy sigh as another squeal of excitement comes from cheryl. toni turns her gaze to see her girlfriend pulling dagwood up and out of the cot only to lay on the ground on her back, red hair splayed across the wooden boards. she lifts dagwood into her arms and brings him down to her face, nuzzling her nose into his neck with a giggle before she’s lifting him up once more, dagwood’s excited cries echoing around the room.

 

_god, i love her so much…_

 

“elizabeth called this morning while you were sleeping. she requested the twins move in with the jones’s until they find a more permanent home for them. cheryl was quite upset at the idea.” nana rose murmurs. toni’s eyes flutter closed, dread flooding her that her worries have been confirmed.

 

they can’t take the twins there…cheryl is so much happier with them here…it isn’t fair, toni won’t just let betty take the twins without a solid reason as to why they shouldn’t live here…

 

cheryl rests dagwood on her chest and takes his little hands into her own, covering her eyes with them and quickly removing them with a gasp and a silly face as dagwood cheers and slaps her cheeks to get her to do it again.

 

“why? they’re happy here… _cheryl_ is happy with them here, what can the jones’s provide that we can’t?” toni says with a sigh of frustration. nana rose actually chuckles, much to her surprise, before she shrugs.

 

“nothing but chaos, i presume.” she says simply. toni smiles at that, bounces juniper in her arms as cheryl giggles and simply lies there for a few moments, staring down at dagwood with nothing but awe in her eyes as he plays with the little cherry necklace toni got her for christmas that’s dangling from her neck. 

 

and the sight before her, toni quickly makes up her mind.

 

“they’re staying here. if betty doesn’t like it, she can take it up with me.” toni says firmly, the gang leader in her coming out as nana rose smirks widely. she makes her way over to her girlfriend and collapses down right beside her, adjusting juniper in her arms until she’s lying on her chest as well as she does.

 

“they’re so beautiful, aren’t they, t.t.?” cheryl whispers, running her thumb over dagwood’s brow before she smiles at juniper and makes a silly face at her, eliciting a giggle from the little girl in toni’s arms.

 

“just like you, cher.” toni croaks out, turning her head with a lazy and tired smile at her girlfriend, who giggles and leans in a little closer until her head is resting on toni’s shoulder.

 

“well, they are my twin brother’s babies…and jay jay truly was the most handsome blossom to ever bless our horrid family…” she mumbles, sighing before she giggles at the way dagwood slaps a hand across juniper’s shoulder with a cry.

 

“hey now, no slapping your sister, mister!” toni chastises, smiling all the same as she takes dagwood’s little fist and slaps it across her own cheek instead, gasping in mock surprise and grinning when he laughs loudly.

 

“betty wants to take them.” cheryl whispers, looking to toni with nothing but anguish in her eyes, and one look at them has toni deciding she never wants to see that look in her girlfriend’s eyes again.

 

she’s seen it too many damn times already…when she saved her from the sisters of quiet mercy…when they fought after toni decided it was best if she move out and they broke up…when she sacrificed herself to save toni from the farm…when she had to bury jason all over again just three days ago…

 

toni hates seeing cheryl blossom be anything but _happy._

 

“it’s a fight she’ll lose. they’re not going anywhere, cheryl. they’re staying right here.” toni says with a tone of finality. cheryl beams at her, leans in to kiss her lips softly before she’s hugging dagwood close to her chest with a heavy sigh.

 

“good…i’m glad you agree, t.t.”

 

\-------------

 

**two weeks later**

 

it’s when those cries echo out in the middle of the night, that’s the worst.

 

cheryl never thought in a million goddamn years that she’d become the caretaker to her dead twin brother’s babies, and yet, at two thirty in the morning does she receive the harsh reminder with the sound of a shrill scream piercing through the air, pulling her from her slumber like it has for the last week and a half since the twins started staying here.

 

she groans and buries her face into her pillow, eyes burning with fatigue and lack of rest, and she’s about to push herself up when she feels warm, gentle fingers brush her hair back from her face before soft lips press a tender kiss to the top of her ear.

 

“i’ve got it, baby, go back to bed.” toni grumbles, the bed shifting on her side as cheryl tries her best to blink her eyes open.

 

she sees the dark outline of toni’s body moving to the corner of the room where the cot is, the sound of crying intensifying as she bends down, and cheryl hears her begin singing softly in an effort to get both babies to stop.

 

and the song she sings has tears immediately welling in cheryl’s eyes.

 

_“come stop your crying, it will be alright_  
_just take my hand, and hold it tight_  
_i will protect you, from all around you_  
_i will be here, don’t you cry…”_

 

juniper and dagwood’s shrill cries almost immediately turn to soft gurgles at the sound of toni’s melodic and gentle voice, the sound of the cot creaking as toni rocks it also joining the cavalcade of noises, and cheryl weeps into her pillow silently, her heart aching for reasons she can, but also can’t explain…

 

_“for one so small, you seem so strong_  
_my arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm_  
_this bond between us, can’t be broken_  
_i will be here, don’t you cry…”_

 

toni’s voice wavers on the last line, like she’s keeping her own tears at bay, and cheryl finds herself clutching her pillow tighter, biting down on her bottom lip to stop herself from wailing, because the song is tugging at every single one of her heart strings right now, her lack of sleep making her emotions haywire, but toni keeps singing, the twins slowly becoming more and more silent as they drift off to sleep once more…

 

_“cause you’ll be in my heart, yes, you’ll be in my heart_  
_from this day on, now and forever more_  
_you’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say_  
_you’ll be here in my heart, always…”_

 

silence eventually takes over the room as the final note echoes out, and cheryl swallows thickly as she hears toni sigh and make her way back to the bed, crawling under the covers and wrapping an arm around cheryl’s waist before she’s burying her face into the back of cheryl’s neck.

 

“that was beautiful, t.t.” cheryl manages to croak out. toni’s arm around her waist squeezes before she kisses cheryl’s shoulder tenderly. 

 

“they’re missing everything, toni…” cheryl whispers, unable to stop herself from sobbing as toni sighs against her sadly, lips peppering kisses up and down the expanse of her shoulder.

 

“cher…” the seriousness in toni’s voice causes cheryl to frown, and she sniffs once and wipes away her tears before she turns in toni’s arms to face her, a smile instantly lighting up her face when toni reaches a hand up to cradle her cheek, thumb brushing over her cheekbone affectionately…

 

“we have to do this for them, baby. for polly and jason. for…for who polly was before the farm destroyed her. nana rose can officially adopt them, but we’ll look after them.” toni says firmly, her voice only slightly shaking, but more with resolve than fear as cheryl stares at her with wide eyes and only the slightest bit of hesitation.

 

“you…toni, as much as i want that, do you know how much work that’s going to be? we’re…we’re only seventeen, we haven’t even graduated high school yet, we can’t b-become parents-.”

 

“they can’t stay with betty and jughead. they’re constantly chasing stories and getting in trouble and putting their lives in danger, and they’re _babies,_ cher, they need a stable home-.”

 

“and you think living here with a senile old lady and two gang leaders is the way to go?” cheryl says with a chuckle despite herself, and toni grins widely before she simply shrugs, her fingers dancing up and down cheryl’s back beneath her shirt.

 

“hey, it’s a lot more stable than the sheriff and the serpent king living under one roof, or some crazy cult leader who’s an anti-vaxxer…which reminds me-.”

 

“i already booked a doctor’s appointment on monday for a check-up. they’ll give them the shots they need.” cheryl says with a slight yawn, prompting toni to grin before she lean in to kiss the corner of cheryl’s mouth mid yawn.

 

“see? we’ve already got it down pat. we’re gonna be great, cher-bear, just you watch.” 

 

“mmm…” cheryl’s eyes close sleepily, and toni chuckles and kisses her once more before resting her forehead against the red head’s.

 

this can wait…right now they can’t afford to waste any precious seconds of sleep while the twins are passed out…

 

“we can talk about it in the morning. goodnight, baby.”

 

“goodnight, t.t…”

 

\------------

 

**one month later**

 

“you guys look terrible.” 

 

veronica lodge stares at them with a frown, watches as cheryl and toni shift on the couch in the student lounge until their bodies are all but sagging against the cushions, eyelids drooping heavily with exhaustion-

 

“thanks, appreciate it.” toni grumbles, reaching for cheryl’s hand and taking it into her own before she’s tugging on it slightly. cheryl groans and pushes herself up and into toni’s lap, arms wrapping around the pink haired girl’s neck before she’s burying her head into toni’s shoulder with a heavy sigh. toni simply rubs soothing circles over her skin, one hand at the small of her back where a bit of skin is exposed between her shirt and skirt combo, and the other resting on her thigh as her head kind of tips sideways and falls against the side of cheryl’s tiredly. 

 

it’s been a whirlwind, the last few weeks, but they’ve managed to sort out a good routine. luckily, nana rose’s carer used to be a babysitter, and she and nana rose were fine with looking after the twins while cheryl and toni were at school, so it hasn’t been too bad, adjusting to working around having to do homework and assessments while also caring for two little babies. however, the twins have gotten incredibly fussy over the last week or so, and cheryl and toni have no idea why. toni thinks it might have something to do with polly’s absence being long enough to finally be causing an effect on them, but cheryl thinks it might also have something to do with the vaccinations they got the other week-

 

“maybe you guys should reconsider betty’s offer of taking the twins-.” veronica starts, but one look from toni has her shutting up, her eyes widening before she scoffs and lifts her hands in surrender.

 

“never mind, forget i said anything.” she chuckles. toni presses a kiss to cheryl’s brow just as the student lounge door opens-

 

and betty cooper, jughead jones and archie andrews walk in, all three of them glancing around before archie makes a beeline for veronica. he kisses her cheek and sits down beside her, looks to toni and cheryl cuddled up on the couch opposite them with concern, but toni only has eyes for betty and jughead.

 

both of whom, watch cheryl dozing off on toni’s shoulder with looks of almost smugness on their faces. 

 

“not getting a lot of sleep, huh?” jughead says, digging into his bag of chips to remove one and shoving it into his mouth with a grin. toni’s grip on cheryl tightens as the red head slowly turns her face to glare at him with the fire of a thousand suns.

 

“they’re worth every second of sleep we miss.” cheryl says stiffly, hugging toni close once more as betty sits down beside them with a deep sigh.

 

“cheryl, i know the twins are jason’s babies, and i’m not saying you can’t come and visit them if they stay with us, you’re more than welcome to, whenever you want-.”

 

“we said the same thing to you and you got upset, betty, or did you forget that?” toni hisses, glaring at the blonde angrily and watching as her expression turns stony before she clenches her jaw and shakes her head. 

 

“i’m just thinking about their future, toni! being raised in a home with an old, wheelchair bound lady and two teenagers? don’t you think that’s-.”

 

“as opposed to living in a home with the serpent king and the sheriff under one roof?! a man of the law and a gang leader, how very fitting for two babies to live in!” cheryl barks, officially detaching herself from toni, who wraps her arms around cheryl’s waist cautiously just in case this turns violent.

 

“are you forgetting that you and toni lead a gang too, cheryl?” jughead says with a frown. cheryl scoffs and looks to him, mouth open and ready to fire, but toni grips her hand and squeezes it tightly with a shake of her head.

 

“look, the twins are staying with us, okay? you’ve been debating this for weeks now and we’re sick of it. they’re _babies_ , not property that you should demand off us! besides, attorney mccoy already visited yesterday and went over the process of having nana rose adopt the twins, and she signed the papers. it’s pretty much done at this point.” 

 

betty’s face very visibly pales, and she looks to jughead in outrage before she’s scoffing in disbelief.

 

“are you kidding me?! you didn’t even discuss this with me-.”

 

“there’s nothing to discuss. they’re jason’s babies and i’m their auntie-.”

 

“and they’re _polly’s_ babies and _i’m_ their auntie, too! and you’re telling me attorney mccoy is okay with the twins living under the same roof that the man who _killed_ their father once lived in?!” betty shouts, standing up with clenched fists, prompting jughead to immediately rush to her side-

 

“as opposed to living in the home where their mother’s serial killer father once lived in?!” cheryl shrieks, jumping up from toni’s lap with a look of pure rage-

 

“you burned thornhill down, what’s gonna stop you from burning down thistlehouse with the twins in it?!” betty screams, and toni only just manages to jump up and wrap her arms around cheryl’s chest, pulling her back to stop her from launching forward-

 

“STOP IT!” veronica suddenly yells, jumping up from the couch and stepping between the two cousins, both of whom are glaring murder at each other while their significant others hold them back.

 

“you’re cousins, for god’s sake! you’re both their auntie’s, and you both care about them! so work together to _help_ them instead of fighting over who should own them! toni’s right, they aren’t property, they’re _babies!_ get over yourselves, both of you!” veronica says angrily as archie stands up beside her with a sigh, looking between cheryl and betty with pursed lips while toni simply pulls cheryl until her back is hitting her chest. 

 

“ronnie’s right, baby…take a few deep breaths in, come on…” toni whispers, rubbing the small of her back gently and pressing a kiss to the back of her head as cheryl attempts to breathe in and out, her eyes still glued to betty with nothing but hatred shining in her eyes. 

 

“come on, betty…” jughead murmurs, pulling betty back and out of the room as the girl blinks back tears and follows her boyfriend out of the student lounge. cheryl doesn’t relax in toni’s arms despite betty leaving, her shoulders tense and her breathing heavy as toni continues pressing kisses to the back of her head to calm her down.

 

“shh, breathe…there you go, it’s okay, cher-bear…” 

 

“how could she…how could she _dare-_ ”

 

“i know, baby, shh…you’re both upset, you’re saying things you don’t mean, just take some deep breaths in…” toni says firmly, still rubbing calming circles into her back as cheryl lets out a soft whimper.

 

“they’re st-staying with us, r-right, toni?” cheryl whispers, her body slowly beginning to relax, but before toni can even say anything, it’s _archie_ that speaks up.

 

“betty will come around. she knows they’re safest with you, that’s probably why she’s so upset. just focus on the twins, okay? if you need anything, ronnie and i are a phone call away, we’ll do what we can to help.” archie says, gripping veronica’s shoulders with a smile that veronica also returns. toni simply offers them a smile as she grips cheryl’s waist and rests her chin on her shoulder tiredly. 

 

“come on, don’t let her get to you, cher…let’s go to class.” 

 

toni takes both her hands as cheryl nods against the side of her head with a sigh, and they say their goodbyes to veronica and archie and make their way to class, the both of them trying their hardest to take archie’s words to heart.

 

betty’s words cut deep, toni knows they did. cheryl’s grip on her hand doesn’t loosen the entire time they make their way to class, and toni has half a mind to track betty down and rip her ponytail off her head, but she knows betty’s upset about more than just the twins.

 

the girl’s mother and sister have gone missing and she witnessed her father get shot in the head…toni’s surprised the girl is still fucking standing, but cheryl’s been through her own trauma as well, and toni just _hates_ it when everyone seems to forget that. just because she puts up her walls around others and pretends to be the hbic, doesn’t mean she’s not hurting on the inside. betty’s a raw, emotional kind of person, whereas cheryl has been groomed her whole life to be a modicum of fury and power. betty had a loving mother who held her close when she scraped a knee as a child, while cheryl had a mother who likely _caused_ her scraped knees and the dozen other scars on her body.

 

betty doesn’t get to try and take cheryl’s happiness away from her life this…

 

“toni? what are we gonna do?” cheryl whispers. toni simply squeezes her hand before lifting it and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

 

“we’re gonna keep looking after the twins, cher. we’re gonna take it one day at a time.”

 

\-----------

 

**three weeks later**

 

“TONI!?”

 

cheryl screams her girlfriend’s name as loud as she can over the wailing sound of both juniper and dagwood, tears falling down her cheeks as she bounces juniper in one arm and smooths a hand over dagwood’s forehead with the other hand in an attempt to calm them both, but it’s not use. 

 

when nothing but silence greets her, cheryl grits her teeth and growls in frustration before she takes a deep breath in and-

 

“ANTOINETTE MERCEDES TOPAZ, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!”

 

she hears the sound of pounding footsteps before the door flies open and toni bursts through, breathless and panting and holding a bottle of liquid pain relief in her hands.

 

“okay, i read the instructions on the back, we just need to fill it up to the two mark on the needle-.”

 

“hurry then, t.t! they’re in pain!” cheryl cries, cooing softly as her tears fall over while juniper wails even louder and clutches cheryl’s hair between her little fists, yanking on it in despair.

 

“i know, i know, shh, auntie’s gonna get you some pain relief, junebug, shh…” cheryl croaks out, lips pressed to juniper’s brow as dagwood screams and fusses in the cot.

 

their cheeks are flushed red, forehead’s burning, something that, according to archie’s mother, is normal for babies that are teething, but cheryl can’t help the anxiety rushing through her body as toni quickly rips the bottle out of the packaging and shakes it a little before she fills the oral syringe, eyes squinted to make sure she’s taking as much as necessary.

 

thank god they went on that shopping trip earlier in the week with mary andrews, she’s a goddalm lifesaver…she helped them buy everything they’d need, and cheryl had been skeptical about buying the little bottle in toni’s hands right now, but mary had told her it’d be necessary of the babies ever got sick.

 

boy is she glad she put her insecurities about it aside now…

 

“okay, here!” toni rushes forward, and cheryl turns juniper over in her arms carefully until she’s facing toni, the pink haired serpent smiling down at juniper and tapping her chin a little to calm her down.

 

“okay, junebug, open up-good girl!” toni squirts the liquid carefully into juniper’s mouth, gently closes it to make sure she swallows the medicine, and cheryl feels juniper’s stomach contract against her hand, indicating that it’s gone down before she’s screaming once more.

 

“i’ve got her, mary said rubbing their gums with a finger might help, too.” toni says anxiously, taking juniper from cheryl’s hands and passing her the medicine as the red head’s attention turns to dagwood in the cot. she fills up the oral syringe to the two mark before she places the bottle on the dresser and takes a wailing dagwood into her arms.

 

“okay, dagwood, here you go, bubby-.” cheryl places the syringe just on dagwood’s lower lip before she pushes down on the top of the needle, and dagwood surprisingly accepts the medicine before he closes his mouth and swallows, a soft gurgle escaping him that almost immediately turns into a cry of pain.

 

“shh, good boy, bubby, good boy! how long does it take, t.t.?” cheryl pleads, looking to her girlfriend, who is sitting against the headboard with juniper propped up in her lap, the baby’s back against her chest as she gently rubs her index finger over juniper’s gums while she wails and wails in pain.

 

“five to ten minutes! here, come here, cher…” toni says, beckoning her over, and cheryl rushes to her side and sits beside her in the same position, placing dagwood in her lap and watching toni as she continues to massage juniper’s gums with her finger.

 

“take the pad of your finger and just rub it over his gums, okay? be careful with your nails, baby.” toni says softly, showing cheryl how she’s doing it with juniper, and cheryl rolls her eyes and takes advantage of dagwood’s wailing to gently soothe the pad of her index finger over dagwood’s gums in little circular motions.

 

“my nails are blunt, t.t. as you’re very much aware, unless you writhing beneath me in pleasure is all for show-.”

 

“don’t even start, you _know_ it’s not for show, and can we please not talk about sex right now, it’s been _weeks._ ” toni grumbles, prompting cheryl to gasp in mock surprise before both babies get her attention once more with their wailing. 

 

“maybe a bath will help cool down their bodies?” toni says with a sigh, looking up at cheryl at a complete loss of what to do, and cheryl frowns before she nods and goes to move, but dagwood’s cries suddenly begin to soften, his hands no longer flailing as cheryl continues to rub her finger over his inflamed gums soothingly.

 

it doesn’t take long for juniper to stop, either, eyes red and bloodshot from crying as she wraps her little fingers around toni’s pinky of the hand by her mouth. toni’s eyes widen and she looks at cheryl, who gasps and looks back at her in equal amounts of shock.

 

“oh, it’s helping! look, t.t.!” cheryl breathes, almost letting out a sob of relief as both babies begin to softly gurgle in discomfort instead, clearly feeling slightly better now that the medicine and the massaging is helping.

 

toni’s head falls back against the headboard as she lets out a huge sigh of relief and looks sideways at cheryl with a tired smile. 

 

“yay, we did it! go team!” she yawns, lifting her free hand and holding it out to cheryl, who claps it with a giggle before she looks down at the babies with slight concern.

 

“this is going to be a reoccurring thing, toni, their pain isn’t going to last for just one night-.”

 

“i know, cher-bear, but we’ll figure it out. we know what to buy now, mary’s been such a big help, and she said we can call her whenever we need help-.”

 

cheryl’s phone suddenly begins ringing loudly, and the red head winces before she reaches across the bedside table to grab it, her expression turning stony when she sees who is calling at the top of the phone.

 

“it’s betty.” she frowns, looking up at toni, who rolls her eyes and shrugs.

 

“your phone, your call. literally.” she says with a grin, and cheryl rolls her eyes as well before she sighs and answers.

 

“hello?” 

 

“cheryl, is everything okay? mary andrews just told me you guys called because you were having trouble with the twins-.”

 

“everything’s fine, betty, they’re just teething and they’re in a bit of pain, but we’re handling it.” cheryl deadpans, looking to toni, who sighs and looks down at juniper with a smile as she lets out a gurgle of discomfort. 

 

“cheryl, if you need-.”

 

“we don’t need _anything_ from you! do you hear any screaming babies?” cheryl hisses, her anger getting the better of her as her thumb comes to a stop against dagwood’s gums, causing the boy to slap her hand to get her to keep going. 

 

_smart boy…_

 

“cheryl…please, can we end this stupid feud between us? i haven’t seen juniper and dagwood in a month, they’re my niece and nephew, too-.”

 

“then perhaps you should apologize for behaving the way you did in the student lounge that day, cousin betty! accusing me of even being _possible_ of setting the house on fire with the twins inside?! i’m not a murderer, and it hurts to know you think of me as being capable of something so horrific!” cheryl says through gritted teeth, trying her best not to raise her voice with the babies so close and already in distress-

 

“look, i’m _sorry_ , cheryl. i really am, i…i didn’t mean to say that! i was just so angry, but i know you’re not capable of hurting them, they’re…god, they’re jason’s babies, too…” betty whispers, almost like she’s coming to some kind of conclusion in her mind, and cheryl looks up at toni with hesitation before she sighs, all her anger fading with the fatigue currently gripping her tightly.

 

god, she’s too tired to deal with this bullshit right now…

 

“yes, they are, betty. they’re the only ties to jason i have left. i could never hurt them.” cheryl says matter-of-factly.

 

“they’re the only ties i have left to polly and my mother, too, cheryl…” betty says softly, her voice sounding so broken, cheryl can’t help the guilt that floods her at the sound of it.

 

_oh, for fuck’s sake…_

 

alice cooper saved hers and juniper’s lives that day they escaped the farm…what would she think of cheryl shunning her daughter from seeing the baby she tried so hard to rescue?

 

“it’s different, betty…your mother and polly are still alive, there’s still a chance they can come back, but jason…he’s gone forever.” cheryl croaks out, her throat closing up with emotion and her grip on dagwood tightening as betty sighs loudly in her ear.

 

“i know…cheryl, i’m _sorry._ ” betty says with not an ounce of insincerity in her tone. cheryl pauses before she takes a deep breath in and blinks back her tears before rolling her eyes.

 

“fine. come over tomorrow, we can work on all of these last minute assessments and homework and look after the twins at the same time. and please, no more insults. i’m not beyond throwing you out if you upset me.” and with that, she ends the call and throws her phone down onto her bed with a sigh of frustration, looking up at toni, who simply smiles at her before she leans across the headboard and juniper and dagwood to press a kiss to the corner of cheryl’s mouth.

 

“proud of you.” she mumbles tiredly. cheryl simply purses her lips and nods once before she looks down at the twins, at the flaming red hair atop their heads, but also…at the soft green eyes she sees when juniper looks up at her…the same exact shade as polly cooper’s…

 

“do you think polly and alice will ever come back?” cheryl croaks out, looking to toni with tears in her eyes. the pink haired girl frowns before she simply sighs, shaking her head slowly as she does.

 

“i don’t know, baby…but if they do, i pray that polly is of sound mind…i grew up without a mother, and it…fucking sucks.” toni says thickly, blinking back her own tears and looking down at juniper with a sad smile.

 

cheryl knows all about toni’s turmoil with her parents. her mother had died when she was very young of a drug overdose and her father was currently in prison, serving a life sentence for almost killing a police officer. she’d been forced to live with her homophobic uncle, her grandfather too sick and elderly to care for her on his own, and cheryl’s heard the stories of how her uncle treated her, has held her close on those nights as toni sobbed into her shoulder from the pain of it all…

 

“we’ll be better, toni. than all of them. we _have_ to be.” cheryl whispers.

 

and toni simply smiles, a stray tear falling down her cheek before she sniffs once and nods in agreement.

 

“we will be, cheryl. we will be.” 

 

\-----------

 

**two months later**

 

“oh, good lord!”

 

cheryl crinkles her nose at the smell that suddenly hits her, looks down at juniper as she smiles up at cheryl with a squeal, and cheryl sighs before she jumps up from the couch and pauses, staring down at toni with a cheeky grin before holding juniper out to her.

 

“diaper change!” she sing songs, laughing before she can stop herself at the way toni groans before she jumps up from the ground where she’s playing ‘hide and crawl’ with dagwood.

 

“fine, but i-oh, holy hell, it’s like a skunk died in her diapers!” toni exclaims, holding juniper at arm’s length in her grasp with her face turned in disgust as cheryl shrugs and falls down beside dagwood, waving her hand nonchalantly as she does.

 

“you already said you’d do it!” toni rolls her eyes, but sighs and makes her way upstairs to the changing table in their room, the smell getting worse and worse with each passing second-

 

“all you drink is formula milk, how do you generate that bad of a smell, huh, junebug?” toni teases, tickling the girl’s neck and grinning as she squeals with delight. she makes her way into the room and lays juniper down onto the changing table, and when she hears a loud, _wet_ squelching sound, her eyes widen.

 

“oh, no…no, no, no, not a runner!” she cries, lifting juniper back up off the change table and turning her over-

 

a nasty, disgusting brown color smeared all up the back of her clothes, staining her white shirt-

 

“ah fuck, cheryl!” toni sighs and dashes out of the door, still holding juniper at arm’s length and feeling horrible about it as she yells out once more.

 

“CHERYL! WE GOT A RUNNER!” she screams.

 

“NOT ANOTHER ONE?! HOW BAD IS IT?!” cheryl yells in despair. 

 

“CODE RED! IT’S ALL UP HER BACK!”

 

“AH FUCK!” toni sighs again and makes her way straight to the bathroom, kicking the door open lightly and placing juniper right in the sink, unsure of where else to put her as she bends down over the bathtub and turns the nozzles for the taps until the temperature is nice and warm.

 

she turns to juniper and slowly lifts her shirt over her head, sighing at the sight of poop basically all over her nice white shirt, which she unceremoniously throws into the trash.

 

“yeah, there’s no salvaging that, huh, junebug?” toni says, smiling as juniper gurgles and begins slapping her belly. cheryl just walks in as toni begins taking off juniper’s diaper, and she makes a startled noise, causing toni to look up into the mirror to witness the cutest thing she’s ever seen in her seventeen years of living.

 

cheryl’s face is turned up in disgust, but she raises one of her hands and grabs dagwood’s, waving it over his nose with a giggle and a smile.

 

“stinky!” she says in a high pitched baby voice, prompting dagwood to laugh loudly as toni grins widely while she deposits the dirty diaper and the rest of juniper’s clothes into the bin.

 

“alright, let’s get you cleaned up!” she lifts juniper out of the sink and takes her over to the shower adjacent from the bathtub, turning the showerhead on and making sure not to get herself wet as she washes off any remnants of poop from juniper’s body. cheryl sighs before she sets dagwood down on the ground and begins stripping off his clothes as well.

 

they might as well give them both a bath-

 

“we’ll need to call betty and tell her we’re going shopping soon, she almost killed us last time for not inviting her.” cheryl says with a roll of her eyes as toni laughs lightly.

 

“all we bought was more pain relief and diapers, she’s actually nuts, babe.” 

 

“well, i promised her i’d keep her in the loop, and i don’t want another fight happening…you were right, we’re cousins and we shouldn’t fight, not when the twins have no one left but us.” cheryl says softly, sighing sadly as dagwood makes a squealing sound of delight for no particular reason. 

 

“we’ll call her, cher-bear. now let’s get you cleaned up properly, huh?” toni says in a high pitched tone, grinning as juniper giggles loudly at the way she tickles her fingers up her back.

 

“do you think she has diarrhea because she’s sick, t.t?” cheryl asks with concern as her girlfriend steps out of the shower and places juniper down into the bathtub with a sigh and a shake of her head.

 

“i don’t think so, we left the window open last night and it was pretty chilly…it might just be wind in her stomach. but if it keeps persisting over the next few days, or if she gets a fever, we’ll take her to the doctors.” toni promises. cheryl simply smiles as she lifts dagwood off the ground and places him in the bathtub beside his sister.

 

“it could be her teething, too. mary said it can cause diarrhea sometimes.” 

 

“mmm…” toni hums as she grabs the bottle of baby body wash from the corner of the tub, squirting a few dollops into her hands before massaging it into juniper’s body to make sure she’s extra clean, cheryl doing the same with the little boy beside her.

 

“look at us go, t.t…full of baby knowledge. like professionals!” cheryl says with a grin, causing toni to laugh loudly as she shakes her head with a grin.

 

“at least when the time comes for our own babies, we’ll know what to do.” she says without thinking.

 

cheryl stiffens beside her, eyes wide as they slowly move up to look at toni in surprise, but toni’s too busy cleaning juniper to really notice-

 

“you’ve…you’ve thought about that? like…i mean us, like our future?” cheryl manages to get out, shock taking over completely that this person…fuck, this perfect, _beautiful_ person beside her as even _thought_ of having kids with her-

 

“of course, cher-bear. i know we’re gonna spend the rest of our lives together.” toni says nonchalantly, like it’s the simplest thing in the world. 

 

cheryl blinks back her tears, and before toni can even think, cheryl lifts a soaking wet hand to grab the back of her neck, pulling her forward for a bruising kiss that has toni slightly whimpering in surprise against her before she returns it eagerly. cheryl only pulls away when the need for air becomes too great, a breathless gasp escaping her as she rests her forehead against toni’s.

 

“you’re my soulmate, antoinette topaz.” cheryl breathes, still clutching the back of her neck, and a very visible shudder runs up toni’s spine before she’s pressing another, much more softer kiss to her lips with a smile.

 

“and you’re my soulmate, cheryl blossom. forever and ever, baby.” 

 

\---------------

 

**one month later**

 

“seriously though, cher, what kind of name is ‘dagwood’?”

 

toni giggles as she helps juniper to her feet, the little girl’s fists curled around her fingers as she stands on wobbling feet while cheryl attempts to help dagwood walk just a few meters across the room to his building blocks.

 

“how should i know what polly was thinking when she named them? she was with the farm already when she did…” cheryl sighs, smiling down at dagwood as he cries out and falls backwards onto his butt.

 

“uh oh!” toni exclaims, chuckling as dagwood sighs in frustration and tries to get up on his own with cheryl still clutching his hands in her own.

 

“ugh, trust edgar to come up with a name as ridiculous as ‘dagwood’-.”

 

“coming from the girl who knows people named ‘sweet pea’ and ‘fangs’. and don’t we have a girl literally named ‘peaches and cream’ in our gang?” cheryl says with a grin, looking up at toni as she rolls her eyes.

 

“that’s not their real names, cher-bear.”

 

“mmm, but who chooses to be nicknamed after a dessert?”

 

“peaches, apparently.” toni mumbles. juniper cries out and wobbles, prompting toni to bend her knees a little to stop her from falling over as she lands against them gently. 

 

they’ve been trying to help the twins learn how to walk for a few weeks now, and dagwood had actually succeeded in taking a few steps on his own just yesterday. juniper is still struggling, but the fact that they’re gonna be able to walk soon causes toni more anxiety than happiness.

 

they’re going to need to baby proof the whole house, maybe put a gate over the stairs so there’s no risk of them falling-

 

“toni, look! oh my god!” toni’s pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of cheryl’s voice, her head snapping up to see cheryl has let go of dagwood completely, following close behind him as he puts one foot in front of the other and makes his way towards the building blocks almost with ease.

 

“cheryl, he’s doing it again!” toni says excitedly, giggling before she’s gasping in surprise as juniper starts to walk forward with a whine, trying to break free of toni’s hold-

 

toni lets her go but stays close behind her, but no help is needed. juniper makes her way over to her twin brother before she’s falling down on her butt beside him. toni claps with excitement, takes her phone out and takes a quick photo before she turns to look at cheryl-

 

oh.

 

she’s crying. 

 

“cher? what’s wrong?” toni asks softly, making her way over to her girlfriend with a look of worry as cheryl looks up at her with tear filled eyes.

 

“they’re missing all of this, t.t…jason and polly. they’re missing everything.” cheryl croaks out hoarsely, staring down at juniper and dagwood in anguish. toni’s heart aches, her thoughts on polly cooper, on where the hell she could be right now, missing out on her own children growing up-

 

_fuck edgar evernever…_

 

he sunk his claws so damn deep into polly, god only knows if she’ll ever be able to recover from it. and now juniper and dagwood don’t have a father, don’t have a mother…all they have is their two aunties and, well, toni…

 

it’s been a thought she’s had a couple of times, the fact that her only tie to juniper and dagwood is through cheryl, and there’s been plenty of nights where cheryl has pressed kiss after kiss to her face and thanked her over and over again for doing this with her because _she_ knows it, too.

 

_“you don’t have any blood ties to them and yet here you are, toni. i love you so much, you’re the…god the most **selfless** person i have ever met.”_

 

the truth is, though, that toni has something stronger than a blood bond with them. she has an emotional one. she couldn’t leave these kids even if she tried, just like there’s no chance in hell she could leave cheryl even if she tried.

 

they’re her family now…just as much as the poisons are, just as much as the serpents used to be…just as much as cheryl is now.

 

but the truth of the matter is, cheryl and toni are not their parents, and jason and polly are missing out on their little babies lives…and it hurts to think about.

 

“i know, cher…and as much as it hurts, we have to stay strong for them, okay?” cheryl exhales shakily before she nods, and toni makes her way over to her, rubbing her hands up and down cheryl’s arms comfortingly as the red head sinks into her embrace with a soft whine.

 

“i know, t.t.” cheryl whispers. 

 

it’s quiet for a few moments, toni rubbing cheryl’s back soothingly as the girl nuzzles into her neck, clutching toni’s shirt between her fingers-

 

“tee…tee!” 

 

toni’s heart stops. 

 

cheryl gasps into her ear, pulls back slowly and turns to stare at the twins, eyes on juniper, who claps her hands and looks up at them both before-

 

“tee…tee!” she cheers, giggling loudly, looking to her blocks and saying it once again-

 

“tee…tee!” she cries, looking up at cheryl and toni with those green eyes so bright and filled with so much joy-

 

“oh my god…oh my god, toni, is…is she saying what i think she’s saying?” cheryl breathes, her hand clasped tightly in toni’s.

 

toni is staring at the child before her, dumbfounded, trying to understand what’s happening right now, because it can’t be possible, it _can’t_ be possible-

 

_she didn’t say…she didn’t-_

 

“tee…tee!”

 

_holy fucking shit, she **did** , what the fuck-_

 

“i’m…i’m her first word? cheryl, did you hear that, she said my n-name, she said-.”

 

“tee tee!” juniper giggles, clapping her hands and prompting cheryl to choke out a sob before she’s running forward and scooping juniper up into her arms, hugging her close and pressing kisses to her cheek excitedly.

 

“toni, she said ‘t.t’! oh my god, my impact!” cheryl breathes, causing toni to choke on laughter and tears as cheryl bounces juniper in her arms with a joyous peal of laughter. toni moves forward, taking juniper into her own arms and pressing a kiss to her brow as tears fall down her cheeks gently.

 

juniper’s first word…is toni’s name? that’s…fuck, that’s insane-

 

it’s not even just toni’s name, it’s _cheryl’s_ nickname for her, oh my god-

 

“toni?” cheryl looks up at her girlfriend, her heart racing as cheryl leans in to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth with her own tears in her eyes and a wide smile.

 

“i love you so much.” cheryl breathes. toni smiles, bottom lip quivering as she kisses her again softly.

 

“i love you too, cher. now come on, junebug, say ‘tee tee’ again!”

 

\----------

 

**two months later**

 

“cher? i’m home!”

 

toni calls out loudly, knows the twins are upstairs in their crib and too far away from her loud voice to wake them as she makes her way through the parlor and into the living room with her back aching and her feet sore.

 

as much as working security at veronica’s speakeasy can be a pain in the ass sometimes, it is nice to escape the screaming babies and the chaos for just a couple of hours, even if it is for work. she feels horrible thinking that way, because it forces her to leave cheryl alone to take care of the twins essentially on her own, with nana rose’s limited help, but replacing the sound of screaming babies with soft music and gentle talking gives her a bit of a reprieve and toni can’t help but admit it.

 

“cher? you awake, baby?” toni calls out, frowning when she gets no response again as she opens the door to the living room-

 

where cheryl is fast asleep on the couch, the tv static illuminating her face and revealing the two twins fast asleep on her chest, one arm curled around each of them tightly and her homework book open beside her. she’s sitting awkwardly, somehow hunched over to make sure the babies don’t fall, but toni can see how her neck is stretched out, knows she’ll wake up feeling sore if she doesn’t take her to bed now…

 

toni sighs fondly, makes her way over to her girlfriend and pauses before she takes her phone out and quickly snaps a couple of photos, unable to resist herself. she looks at the photos for a few moments before taking in the real thing before her. 

 

photos don’t do it justice…the way cheryl’s arms curl around the babies protectively…the way juniper and dagwood each have one hand resting on her collarbones, their little faces smushed against her chest…

 

toni, with her heart melting at the sight, steps forward before she leans in to press a kiss to cheryl’s forehead, causing the red head to stir.

 

“hmm? toni? wha-.”

 

“i just got home from work, baby. you must’ve passed out…it’s okay, let’s take them upstairs and go to bed, okay?” cheryl blinks rapidly, winces in pain and cranes her neck with a groan before she looks down at her open book beside her.

 

“but my homework-.”

 

“we have all weekend to finish it, cher-bear. come on, you need some rest…” cheryl doesn’t protest, just lets toni take dagwood into her arms as she lifts juniper just the same, slowing managing to push herself up off the couch.

 

they’re exhausted, toni knows that, but the fact that they’re managing to keep their grades high while looking after two babies and, in toni’s case, working a job…

 

_we’re fucking superheroes, i swear to god…_

 

toni makes her way past the gate that blocks the stairs before making her way up them, cradling dagwood to her chest carefully to make sure she doesn’t do anything to wake them.

 

as soon as they enter their room, toni makes her way over to their crib, but cheryl suddenly whines and looks to toni pleadingly.

 

“can they sleep in the bed with us tonight, toni? i…i just want them close.” she says softly, running her hand up and down juniper’s back, and toni doesn’t even protest. 

 

This has happened a couple of times now…on nights where cheryl misses jason particularly hard, she asks toni if the twins can sleep in the bed with them, and toni can never bring it in herself to tell her no.

 

she wants the twins just as close as cheryl does on some days, too.

 

she makes her way over to their bed, lays dagwood down on it gently in the middle of the bed against the pillows and takes off her jeans and shirt before quickly sliding on pajama shorts and a shirt. she lays down on dagwood’s right while cheryl lays juniper down on his left.

 

they rest either side of the twins, smiling down at the way they fuss and gurgle in their sleep, and toni feels her eyelids beginning to droop tiredly, fatigue getting the better of her.

 

“it’s their birthday in two weeks, t.t…we have to do something nice for them, maybe a party…” cheryl trails off with a heavy yawn, her head coming to rest on the pillow as toni simply nods.

 

“yeah, we can do that…can’t believe it’s already their first birthday, it’s so crazy…” toni murmurs, looking down at dagwood with a smile. she brushes her thumb over his forehead tenderly, feels herself beginning to drift off to sleep and lets out one final yawn.

 

“mmm…goodnight, cher. i love you.”

 

when she doesn’t get a response, toni forces her eyes open and looks up to see cheryl already asleep, one hand resting over juniper’s stomach. toni collapses down onto her pillow with a chuckle, and within seconds, she’s out like a light.

 

\-----------

 

**one week later**

 

**betty cooper [09:43]**  
_farm’s been taken down. edgar and evelyn arrested. mom is home. will bring her to thistlehouse in the afternoon to see the twins. she wants to talk to you._

 

toni reads the message from cheryl’s phone with a frown, worry gripping her as she tries to process what she’s read.

 

alice is back. the farm is gone (good fucking riddance), but betty didn’t say anything about polly…is she back as well?

 

cheryl’s been pacing up and down since the message came in ten minutes ago, gripping her hair with wide eyes filled with tears as she lets out an anxious whine of despair.

 

“they’re going to take the twins away, toni! they…they’ve been with us for eight months now, they can’t just _take_ them-.”

 

“no one’s taking them, cheryl! hey…hey, come on…” toni jumps up from the bed and grips cheryl’s hand into her own, squeezing it tightly as the girl chokes on a sob and looks at her with nothing but worry.

 

“t-toni…p-please, they can’t t-take them-.”

 

“juniper and dagwood are staying _here_ , cheryl. they’re not going anywhere, i promise. just breathe, baby, please? for me?” toni coos softly, brushing her thumbs over cheryl’s tear stained cheeks as the girl swallows thickly and nods once before she pulls toni into a tight hug, burying her face into her shoulder with a whine.

 

toni doesn’t know why she’s promising any of this, because if polly got out as well, there’s no chance in hell they can keep the twins from their own mother, but the thought of the twins being taken from them hurts too much to bear.

 

toni has a half a mind to call the pretty poisons over, to have them stand guard in case betty and alice try to force their way in to take the twins from them, but she doesn’t want to make the situation worse by having her fucking gang show up to stop them. it’s not a good impression to make.

 

maybe…maybe if alice sees how _well_ the twins are doing with cheryl and toni, she’ll agree that they should stay…right?

 

the sound of juniper’s cries (more high pitched and screechy, which tells toni it’s definitely her crying, because dagwood’s cries are more harsh and hollow sounding) causes cheryl to detach from toni before she’s making her way to the crib to lift her into her arms, the girl standing on her little feet and lifting her hands up, eager for cheryl to wrap her up in her embrace, which she does.

 

cheryl holds her close, lips pressed against juniper’s brow as toni bends down to lift dagwood into her own with a sigh.

 

“tee tee!” junpier cries, clapping her hands and giggling as cheryl’s bottom lip trembles. she holds juniper close, looks to toni with worry, and the pink haired girl presses a kiss to dagwood’s brow before she squares her shoulders and nods.

 

they’re staying here, toni doesn’t care what alice fucking cooper or smith or whatever her last name is now says. juniper and dagwood are staying here…staying _home._

 

“they’re home, cher-bear. this is their home, alice isn’t gonna take that away from them.” 

 

the afternoon rolls around, cheryl growing more and more anxious the more it creeps up on them, and when the doorbell finally rings, toni watches as her spine stiffens, watches as she looks up at toni in panic before the pink haired girl jumps up and leans down to press a kiss to her hair.

 

“stay strong.” she says simply, and cheryl squeezes her hand and nods before toni makes her way to the door to answer it.

 

when it swings open, she’s surprised to not see betty and jughead at the door, but alice cooper herself, alone and without her daughter and his boyfriend, a smile lighting up her face that looks incredibly tired and worn out.

 

“hi, toni. is cheryl home?” alice asks simply, like she hasn’t been missing for the last eight months. toni nods once, eyes scanning the car behind them for polly-

 

“she’s not here, toni. please, can i come in? i need to speak with cheryl.” alice says urgently. toni simply purses her lips and nods before she steps aside, allows alice to walk in before she closes the door behind her with her heart pounding against her chest painfully.

 

“where’s betty?” toni asks.

 

“i told her to stay home…we had a disagreement on something, but she’ll come around, don’t worry.” alice says simply. toni frowns at that, but follows her regardless as she makes her way towards the sounds of babies squealing with delight and cheryl cheering.

 

alice walks straight into the living room where cheryl and the twins are playing on the ground, a smile breaking over her face and tears immediately welling in her eyes as she collapses down on the ground beside her grandchildren, scooping them both up into her arms with a choked out sob.

 

“god, they’re so grown up!” she cries, pressing kiss after kiss to the full head of red hair atop both dagwood and juniper’s heads. they flail slightly in her embrace, and once alice lets go of juniper, she all but falls sideways into cheryl’s arms, burying her face into cheryl’s stomach with a whine as the red head holds her close and looks up at alice apologetically.

 

“she’s just-.”

 

“not used to me. i know…that’s what i came to discuss with you.” alice takes a deep breath in as she lets go of dagwood, who stumbles his way over to toni, who sits down next to cheryl and almost immediately holds her arms open to him, taking him into her lap easily with a frown as alice looks to them with a sad smile.

 

“i know you’re probably worried that now that i’m back, i’ll be taking the twins from you. i’m here to tell you that that won’t be the case.” alice says firmly.

 

toni can _feel_ cheryl’s shoulders relax beside her, this soft whine escaping her as toni feels her own rush of relief, but she forces herself to listen as alice smiles sadly with a quivering bottom lip.

 

“polly has…unfortunately been placed in a mental health facility. she was one of the farm members who fought the hardest against the fbi once the farm was infiltrated, and she was screaming bloody murder as edgar and evelyn were arrested. i’m afraid…i’m afraid there’s no hope left for her. by the end of it all, she’d completely forgotten about jason’s existence, and the twins…i showed her a photo and she told me they weren’t worthy of ‘ascending’, and therefore should be forgotten about.” alice whispers, anguish clearly gripping the woman that her own daughter has lost any hope of mental stability left.

 

toni’s heart aches, her grip on dagwood tightening as she looks to cheryl, whose eyes flutter closed with a gasp.

 

“god, pollykins…” she whispers. alice lets her own tears fall, quickly brushes them away and looks up at cheryl with a warm smile.

 

as for myself…the fbi has told me i can go back to living my life normally, but they’ve placed guards with me twenty four seven and are considering placing me in witness protection. there are still farm members out there who are true believers, and upon learning of my betrayal, most of them weren’t… _happy_ with me.” alice lets out a shaky breath, this haunted look in her eyes before she looks down at juniper and dagwood with a sad smile.

 

“long story short…the twins will be staying with you two and nana rose, where they’re safe. they’re happy and healthy here with you, and i know you care for them just as much as betty and i do.” 

 

_oh my god…_

 

cheryl lets out a sob, holds juniper close to her chest as toni looks at alice in disbelief.

 

“i…are you sure? miss smith-.”

 

“it’s alice, honey. and yes, i’m sure. i only ask that…that if i’m allowed to, you’ll let me visit them whenever i want-.”

 

“of course, aunt alice. you can come over whenever you want.” cheryl croaks out. alice smiles sadly, tears falling down her cheeks before she suddenly leans forward and lifts a hand to cradle cheryl’s cheek, and, even more surprisingly, leans in to press a kiss to her brow.

 

“so unlike your mother and father you are, cheryl blossom. a blessing amongst an otherwise terrible family. jason would be proud of you…i hope you know that.” she whispers, pulling back with a trembling smile. 

 

cheryl whimpers before she suddenly makes a move to stand, and she places juniper on the ground by the building blocks before she envelops alice in a hug, the woman herself surprised at it for a few moments before she embraces cheryl tightly. 

 

“i’m sorry this h-happened, aunt alice…it should be jason and p-polly raising them-.”

 

“life dealt us these cards, cheryl…all we can do is try to work them in our favor. jason and polly are gone, and if there’s anyone who could look after them better than they could, it’s you two. if you ever need anything, i’m a phone call away, alright?” alice sniffs and pulls back, brushing away cheryl’s tears with the pads of her thumbs before gripping cheryl’s face in her hands.

 

“okay.” cheryl whispers.

 

“if the fbi says you can't stay in riverdale, will you be able to stay in contact with us?” toni asks hoarsely, placing dagwood back on the ground beside his sister as alice sniffs once again and shakes her head.

 

“n-no...which is why i'm praying they'll let me stay, but…it’s looking like that’s less likely to happen. but for now, i’m here, and if you need me, call.” she says firmly. toni nods once as cheryl detaches herself from alice, and the woman smiles and taps her cheek lovingly before she bends down to hug the twins close, saying her tear filled goodbyes as she does.

 

“grandma loves you two so much…” alice whispers. cheryl chokes on a sob, and toni wraps her arms around the red head and holds her close, pressing kiss after kiss to her hair as she does.

 

it isn't fair...but there's nothing they can do about it...

 

the twins are officially staying with them now...and as much as it makes toni happy, learning the circumstances of why only breaks her heart further.

 

\----------------

 

**five years later**

 

“auntie cheryl, auntie cheryl!” 

 

“hey, junebug!”

 

cheryl drops her bookbag a little too harshly to the ground as she scoops juniper up into her arms, spinning her around and hugging her close with a growl of happiness before she kisses her temple lovingly.

 

“how was school? where’s dagwood?”

 

“in the living room with auntie toni! and it was okay!” juniper says with a simple shrug, grinning and poking her tongue out through her two missing front teeth as cheryl sets her down on the ground and kisses the top of her head before closing the front door.

 

“well, you can tell me all about it at dinner! now, let’s go get your brother so you can both wash up while auntie cheryl and auntie toni get dinner ready, okay?” cheryl says with a smile, making her way into the living room to find-

 

toni and dagwood in front of the tv holding playstation controllers, toni’s tongue poking out between her teeth-

 

“you’re not gonna win!” dagwood cheers.

 

“watch me, small fry!” toni growls. cheryl cocks an eyebrow and leans against the doorway, and a few more second pass before toni finally notices the flash of pink hair in her periphery-

 

“oh!” she throws the controller down, grinning sheepishly as dagwood suddenly cheers loudly, looking to toni and seeing what she’s looking at-

 

“oh!” he drops his controller as well, the both of them looking at cheryl nervously as she rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest.

 

“did you finish your homework?” she asks sternly.

 

“yes!” dagwood says, nodding furiously. cheryl looks to toni.

 

“i helped him, he’s telling the truth.” she confirms. cheryl rolls her eyes before she shrugs.

 

“fine. ten more minutes, then dinner, then bedtime!” she says firmly.

 

“yes! june, come play with me!” dagwood says, patting the spot on the couch toni just left as she makes her way over to her fiancé with a smile. 

 

“dinner’s in the oven, ready to go.” she murmurs, wrapping her arms around cheryl’s waist. cheryl smiles and kisses her lips softly with a hum.

 

“mmm, good. because i’m in no mood to cook.” 

 

“neither was i. it’s pizza.” cheryl rolls her eyes again as toni laughs loudly, and they make their way into the dining room to set the table.

 

"how'd your exam go?" toni asks with a frown. cheryl simply shrugs.

 

"i think it went well...i won't get the results until next week, though." 

 

"well, with how much studying you were doing, i'm sure you passed with flying colors. at this point, _i'm_ capable of becoming a lawyer with how much i've been testing you." toni says with a chuckle. cheryl smiles and takes her hand, pulling her in to her close before pressing a quick kiss to her lips. 

 

"and you? did they like your final assessment piece?" she murmurs. toni grins widely before she nods.

 

"miss barker loved the collage of the twins...she says it 'captures the essence of raising children' or something. i told her i just thought they looked cute and snapped some photos." toni chortles, prompting cheryl to laugh as she runs her fingers through toni's hair, causing the girl's eyes to roll into the back of her head and a soft purr to escape her.

 

"mmm...dinner first, play time later, yeah?" cheryl teases, kissing the corner of her fiance's mouth before she grabs another plate and squeals when toni taps her backside.

 

"tease."

 

once dinner is done and the twins have brushed their teeth and put on their pajamas, cheryl and toni take them up the stairs to their bedrooms, cheryl taking dagwood, and toni taking juniper. cheryl tucks dagwood in with a smile, leans down to press a kiss to his forehead before he whines and reaches out to grab her hand.

 

“can you tell me a story about daddy again, auntie cheryl?” he asks softly. cheryl smiles back, tries her best to blink back her tears before she nods once and sits down at the edge of the bed. 

 

"you want the story of when he saved me at sweet water river?" she asks softly. dagwood nods enthusiastically, and cheryl smiles and takes his hands into her own.

 

“so...one time, auntie cheryl and daddy were walking on sweet water river, skipping rocks and sharing jokes when auntie cheryl decided to go for a stroll. she went up near the cliffs, and when she tries to climb one of the rocks, she slipped and fell. she cut her leg on the rocks really badly, and your daddy, well…he came rushing to my side and scooped me up into his arms before he carried me all the way back home." cheryl says fondly, smiling at the memory, and the way that jason had looked at her with nothing but worry as he tied his shirt around her leg to keep it from bleeding out. 

 

"even though it was summer and it was so, so hot outside, jason always protected me, even if it meant running over a mile in the heat to make sure i got home safe. he was a loving, beautiful person, dagwood…and i’m sorry you never got to meet him. but just know that he’s always looking out for you…and that he loves you, so, so much.” cheryl whispers. dagwood smiles, lets out a little sigh before he squeezes cheryl’s hand tightly.

 

“that’s why he sent you, right, auntie cheryl? so you could do what he couldn’t?” he whispers. cheryl jumps up and presses a long, loving kiss to his brow.

 

“yeah, bubby. and that’s why you have me forever and always, dagwood. i promise.” she whispers back. 

 

“forever and always…” dagwood says softly, his eyes closing as cheryl chuckles and presses another kiss to her head.

 

“goodnight, bubby.”

 

“goodnight, auntie cheryl.” 

 

she makes her way to the front door, clicks off the light and watches his little star night light on the bedside table come to life before she closes the door, leaving it open only a crack.

 

it's gotten easier, telling the kids stories about their father, hearing betty tell them stories about their mother, too...alice was long gone, placed into witness protection and polly was still suffering from the effects of the farm's brainwashing...and after nana rose passed away two years ago, the twins now really only have cheryl and betty left...

 

well, and toni, of course...

 

she makes her way down the hallway to juniper’s bedroom, stops at the doorway to see her fiance tucking the young girl in with a smile.

 

“can you sing the night time song, auntie toni!?” juniper asks excitedly. toni chuckles and sits down on the edge of the bed with a smile.

 

“course i can. ready?” juniper nods enthusiastically, squeezes her eyes shut as toni takes a deep breath in and starts singing.

 

_“come stop your crying, it will be alright_  
_just take my hand, and hold it tight_  
_i will protect you, from all around you_  
_i will be here, don’t you cry…”_

 

juniper’s eyelashes flutter, a smile on her face as toni brushes her hair back from it with a soft smile of her own.

 

_“for one so small, you seem so strong_  
_my arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm_  
_this bond between us, can’t be broken_  
_i will be here, don’t you cry…”_

 

cheryl sniffs back her tears and steps through the doorway, prompting toni to look up at her with a warm smile as she reaches her hand out, pressing a kiss to the back of cheryl’s knuckles as soon as she takes it. toni looks her dead in the eyes as she sings the next lines…

 

_“cause you’ll be in my heart, yes, you’ll be in my heart_  
_from this day on, now and forever more_  
_you’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say_  
_you’ll be here in my heart, always…”_

 

cheryl smiles and leans down to kiss her, toni’s trembling hands lifting to brush away the tears falling down her cheeks, but before their lips meet, they both hear juniper stir suddenly as she says:

 

“will mommy and daddy be in my heart forever, auntie?” she whispers tiredly. cheryl chokes on a sob, clutches her chest as it aches while toni blinks back her tears and leans in to press a kiss to juniper’s brow.

 

“of course they will, junebug…just like auntie cheryl and auntie toni.” juniper smiles at that, her eyes closing as she drifts off to sleep, and toni makes sure she’s tucked in properly before she takes cheryl’s hand and leads her out of the room, clicking the light off and leaving the door half open as she does.

 

“toni…” cheryl tugs her back with a heavy sigh, and toni turns to look at her, sees how her eyes fill with tears, a shaky sigh escaping her as she takes toni's face into her hands.

 

"it's never gonna get easier, is it? hearing them talk about jason and polly..." she whispers, bottom lip trembling as toni sighs and pulls her into her embrace.

 

"no, baby...i don't think it ever will." she whispers back. cheryl sighs against her, and toni kisses her hair before she takes her hand and leads them to her bedroom.

 

it's been five years and the pain still doesn't get any better...but at least they're happy and healthy...that has to count for something, right? and the twins have cheryl and toni, that also has to count for something...right?

 

it must, because at one in the morning, cheryl is pulled out of her sleep by a hand tugging on her own, the sounds of a sniff making her eyes crack open in wonder to see dagwood and juniper standing beside her, the both of them with tears in their eyes-

 

"what happened? are you okay?" cheryl croaks out, blinking away her fatigue as she sits up slowly just as dagwood squeezes her hand with a whine.

 

"i had a nightmare."

 

"so did i." juniper whispers. cheryl's expression softens, her mind calling back to all the times _she_ had nightmares and toni would hold her close...

 

"come here. shh, it's okay..." cheryl pulls them up onto the bed where they crawl under the covers between her and toni, who stirs suddenly and lets out a groan as she rubs her eyes.

 

"what's happening?" she slurs, voice thick with sleep as cheryl chuckles and brushes juniper's hair back from her face to kiss her temple.

 

"they had nightmares." she says simply. toni cracks open one eye and looks down at them before she exhales shakily and closes her eyes again, one arm extending out and wrapping not only the twins, but cheryl in her embrace tightly. 

 

"auntie toni banishes nightmares, don't worry. right, auntie cheryl?" she grumbles, her voice raspy as junpier and dagwood giggle and cuddle up closer to her. cheryl smiles and leans over them to kiss toni's brow before she wraps her arm around toni just the same, the twins caught between them snugly.

 

and in this moment, cheryl thinks to herself...that despite polly and jason's absence, despite all the death and brainwashing cults and fbi undercover missions and god knows what else...they've managed to create something beautiful.

 

and isn't that just something?

 

"right. that she does...that she does."


End file.
